Product Sales
@royal52gens (5488)
United States
February 7, 2007 7:40am CST
Our Troop sells QSP products (nuts, candy, magazines) in the fall and cookies in the winter/spring. Traditionally, we do not make a very good profit on the QSP because the schools are selling at the same time as us. Cookies, we do make a good profit but we have to work hard for it. We usually base our travel plans on the cookie profit. This year the girls want to go to Cedar Point in Ohio and go camping at least once this summer. They would also love to go to a movie or concert.
We try not to ask our parents very often to pay for our trips, although occasionally we do have to ask the parents to pay at least half of the fees. Over the years, the troop has been pretty self-sufficient which I hope the parents appreciate since we are not constantly asking them for money.
As a parent, how do feel about a troop that pays its own way?
Troop Leaders, what time of the year does your troop sell its products? What kind of activities does your troop do with their profits?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@cori431 (9)
• United States
7 Feb 07
The last 3 years the troop has had plenty of funds. This year it's going fast. We have been planning more free activities, like the science center, zoo, our local college has an International Fest in 2 weeks and we are going there then out to lunch for Chinese. 3 girls volunteered to run a cookie decorating booth for the Christmas parade and they loved it. These same 3 are also helping out with Brownie Nature Fun Day in April.
Recently we offered the Junior Heritage Tour and the parents were put off by the cost. So the other leader and I took our girls, paid for all with our own money and had a great time. Some girls are missing out because their parents don't want to help out.
We have the new girls pay for all their things, until after cookie sales.
We also sold candles with the Fall Fundraiser. We are donating the proceeds to the Humane Society.
2 people like this
@royal52gens (5488)
• United States
7 Feb 07
It sounds like you have a very active and fun troop. Yes, I do understand how hard it can become when parents are not supportive of their daughters. Like you, we participate in many free activities. When we spend funds on a trip, it usually is well worth the money. Our Cedar Point trip is our most expensive trip. We went last year and the girls loved it. So of course they would love to go again this year. If we are not successful in raising enough money for that event and the parents won't help, then we will do something else. We have done all kinds of camping...in tents, backyards, a church building, a finished/heated basement, big cabins, little cabins, a-frame cabins and even hotel camping. This summer we want to teach the girls canoeing. All of our girls are excellent swimmers. They also love the water. I would love to take them to more museums but they just do not seem too interested in going. I like your idea of having new girls paying for their things until after the cookie sales.
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@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
14 Feb 07
We sell the candy/nuts in the fall as soon as school starts and we do not make a lot either. It does get us through to the cookie sale(Jan-March... NOW) Last year we had two trips for two types of girls they got to go cave exploring and an overnight at the Lost Sea. It was too much fun! The less adventurous girls went to Babyland and got to but a Cabbage Patch doll. They could all go to the Hospital, but only the ones who did not go to the lost sea got thier doll bought for them. The year before we went to Dollywood and the girls had a lot of fun. We adults were worn out and I walked so much I was in bed all day the next day. I told them I would not do that again, that they would have to get other parents to take them if they wanted to do that. This year we are saving the money to go to Lake Winni (a smaller amusement park) They have Scout day in Sept. and we will pay gas and admission price (only$3) for SafteyWise adults. The rest we will do some smaller trip. They do not seem to want to sel as many this year as last so the funds will be less. If booths don't go well, we will only have enough for the park and patches.
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